When you see a restaurant void of guests, should you enter? Probably not. Me and a bunch of workmates went out for a bite and a drink the other night. Since we were a dozen people we were happy to find a place that could fit us all in. I later discovered why.
The friendly waiter, who did not speak a word of Swedish, helped us scoot the tables together and asked if we wanted a drink before ordering. We declined the offer and ordered a mix of pizzas, salads and pastas all around. The first plates where served promptly but the waiter mixed up all our orders so there was some confusion. Worse, he got one of the orders totally wrong but the polite guest did not mind eating something else than she ordered. Another guest got the wrong kind of beer. What about the food you ask? Well, the pasta I got was clearly out of a box and the chateaubriand could find room in a tablespoon. The pizzas looked nothing than ordinary and we left them half eaten. The shrimp salad looked great though and was to the guests' delight.
The venue is ordinary and seems clean and well kept. I did not check out the toilet. There was a cold draft though so I made a point of finishing my meal before it went cold. I almost made it. The house wine, Moncaro Sangiovese Marche, was excellent, actually nicer than the Chianti I was later recommended by the waiter.
The lesson to be learned here is that if a restaurant has no guests, it is probably for a reason. read more